It's easy to get into a wine rut -- drinking the same things all the time because they're familiar.

This week, I'm going to help you shake up your dinnertime beverage selection with 10 fine bargain wines that might be off your radar.

Let's start with a bargain superstar. The 2004 Walnut Crest Central Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($7) is shy about its homeland. You read Central Valley and think Fresno, but in this case it's a long valley running parallel to the Andes Mountains in Chile, just 50 miles from the Pacific Ocean. The country of origin is hidden in tiny type on the back label.

Slow Cooker Breakfast Bake Is The Best Decision You'll Make This WeekendDelish

How to Make Margarita CakeMyRecipes

Shallots vs. OnionsMyRecipes

Fortunately, this wine's aromas and flavors are the opposite of shy. Tangy pineapple and passion fruit jump from the glass, with notes of grass, apricot and white pepper. It stands up to fine Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand that cost more than twice as much. Stock up on this one.

The other South American find this week is the 2002 High Altitude Argentina Malbec Cabernet Sauvignon ($9). Malbec, the primary grape in this blend, is originally from France, but has found its highest expression in Argentina. If you're a fan of big reds, Argentinian Malbecs should be on your regular shopping list.

The aroma of this wine is dominated by oak, with a little black plum and menthol. But on the palate, the fruit comes to the fore: black plum and blackberry, with a strong violet note and a hint of menthol. This is a mouth- stainer with a big body, big tannins and more black fruit on the medium-length finish.

The Nero d'Avola grape might be Sicily's best export since Frank Capra, director of "Lost Horizon" and "It's a Wonderful Life." The 2002 Spadina Sicily Nero d'Avola ($10) offers a nice, complex aroma of cherry tobacco, tar, leather and chocolate. On the palate, it opens with stewed cherry and cherry tobacco, with notes of leather, red currant, stewed prunes and flowers coming in on the midpalate. The stewed fruit flavors should go well with pasta and tomato sauce. Bad-pun alert (Whoop! Whoop! Whoop!): It's a wonderful wine, and you can't take it with you.

Now, to America's lost wine horizon (whoop!): rosé. Pink wine is great chilled in summer, goes well with a wider range of foods than either reds or whites, and doesn't need heavy analysis. Americans don't drink enough pink wine -- sales were down 3.8 percent over the last 52 weeks compared to the previous year, according to ACNielsen.

Folks, there is no shame in drinking pink. People in the industry drink a lot of it. Some winemakers even make it for themselves to enjoy on hot afternoons, and don't sell it to the public.

The 2003 Montevina Amador County Nebbiolo Rosato ($7.50) could win over anti-pink skeptics. This pretty salmon-pink wine entices with aromas of strawberry, white peach and tutti-frutti. Yet on the palate, it's completely dry, with bright strawberry and white peach flavors. It's refreshing and fruity without being sweet, and leaves a light, dry strawberry aftertaste.

The Trinchero family made its mark on the wine world with Sutter Home White Zinfandel, a much-derided sweet pink wine that non-aficionados love. I'm not a fan of that wine; it's too sweet for me and tastes manipulated. But Sutter Home recently issued a couple of very interesting variations.

I heard someone in a store recently say, "Merlot is not pink. That's just wrong." She did not buy the 2003 Sutter Home California White Merlot ($5), which is fine because there's one more bottle for you (or me). It's only slightly sweet, and the simple, likable aromas and flavors of strawberry and hibiscus tea would be excellent on a hot day. Moreover, you can't beat the price.

While we're on the topics of slightly sweet wines and giant producers, we like the 2004 Turning Leaf Monterey County Riesling ($8) so consistently that this is the third vintage in a row we're recommending. This year's release is citrusy and simple, with aromas and flavors of pink grapefruit, apricot and Meyer lemon. It would be excellent with shellfish or ceviche.

The 2003 Forestville California Gewurztraminer ($6) from the folks at Bronco Wine Co. is also simple and agreeable, with a toast-dominated aroma and flavors of grapefruit, golden apple and toast. Serve it well-chilled.

Finally, here's a very good wine from one of Bronco's rivals for shelf space, E. & J. Gallo Corp.: the 2003 McWilliam's Hanwood Estate South Eastern Australia Merlot ($8). It offers a nice aroma with lots of blackberry and cherry fruit, along with notes of licorice, cola, black pepper and eucalyptus. On the palate, it's slightly jammy with a fine blackberry/black plum flavor, a hint of black pepper and a soft mouthfeel.

If you're one of those trendy folks who swore off Merlot after seeing "Sideways," try this one. It's high time to shake up your preconceptions.